11 December: International Mountain Day
Since 2003, December 11 is International Mountain Day as designated by the United Nations General Assembly. Annually, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) observes the day:
… to create awareness about the importance of mountains to life, to highlight the opportunities and constraints in mountain development and to build alliances that will bring positive change to mountain peoples and environments around the world.
• Mountains cover almost one-quarter (22 percent) of the Earth’s surface.
• Up to 80 percent of the world’s freshwater supply comes from mountains.
• One in eight people (13 percent) around the world lives in the mountains.
• Mountain tourism accounts for almost 20 percent of the worldwide tourism industry.
The following provides a glimpse to the mountain environments around the world and to the challenging conditions our ancestors would have faced and endured.
1. Australia: Blue Mountains
Near Katoomba, NSW.
Torrential rain approaching the Three Sisters; Mt. Solitary peak at right was known as “Mun-mi-ee” by the Gundungarra people. HL, 8 Jul 2007 (A510).
2. Austria: Kitzbühel Alps
Alpbach, Tirol
Alpbach valley in early spring-morning light. HL, 14 May 2018 (X70).
3. Brazil: Serra do Ibitiraquire
Near Morretes, Paraná.
At 1877 metres (6158 feet), Pico Paraná is the highest point in Paraná state and in southern Brazil. HL, 10 Jul 2011 (450D).
4. Canada: Coast Mountains
Near Vancouver, BC.
The indigenous Squamish First Nations people once had coastal villages in and around Howe Sound. HL, 16 May 2014 (6D1).
5. Chile: lower Andes
Near Vicuña, Región de Coquimbo (Región IV).
Sleepy “zorro” (desert fox), from Cerro Tololo Observatory. HL, 23 Jun 2007 (A510).
6. Chile: Coastal Range (Cordillera de la Costa)
Región de Antofagasta (Región II).
Telescopes & Residencia, ESO (European Southern Observatory) at Cerro Paranal. Arid Atacama desert, horizontally laminar air flow, and well beyond city lights are prime conditions for astronomy. HL, 25 Nov 2009 (450D).
7. Germany: Wetterstein
Southern Bavaria.
From Wank summit, view west to Zugspitze. HL, 28 May 2018 (X70).
8. México: Sierra de San Pedro Mártir
Picacho del Diablo, Baja California.
Southeast from México’s Observatorio Astronómico Nacional to highest point on Baja California peninsula. HL, 16 Dec 2005 (A510).
9. New Zealand: Southern Alps
Flyover near Aoraki/Mount Cook National Park.
“The Grand Traverse” past highest peaks in New Zealand: Mount Tasman (Horokoau) and Aoraki (Mount Cook), at left and right, respectively. HL, 21 Jul 2012 (450D).
10. South Africa: Table Mountain Group
Over Cape Town and Cape Peninsula.
tFrom the back of Table Mountain to where the Atlantic Ocean and Indian Ocean meet. HL, 13 Oct 2012 (450D).
11. United States: Hawai’i
Near Kawaihae, Big Island.
Cinder cones on extinct volcano Kohala in the northwest corner of the Big Island. HL, 8 Dec 2009 (450D).
Photo by Amy Toensing for Getty Images. UN FAO International Mountain Day 2016.
Except for the top and bottom images, I made all remaining photos labelled “HL” between 2005 and 2018 with the following detectors: Canon A510 Powershot (A510), Canon XSi/EOS 450D (450D), Canon EOS 6D mark 1 (6D1), and Fujifilm X70 (X70). This post appears on Fotoeins Fotografie at fotoeins DOT com as http://wp.me/p1BIdT-99u.
3 Responses to “11 December: International Mountain Day”
Your first image reminded me so much of the Dolomiten in Italy, oder die drei Zinnen.
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Thanks for your comment, Cornelia. I hadn’t thought of the Dolomites, but the resemblance is striking. I wonder if the chemical composition of the rocks at the Three Sisters is similar to the examples you listed. That’s an investigation for a future time. 🙂
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That is a great question, my guess would be that it’s different, because of a different climate.
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